Annotated Games: 4 players

This game was played during the testing of version 3.03 of Nova Suecia - The Last Letter Home.

To test different strategies, the governors played as follow:

1. Minuit: Focus on a safe strategy with no loans and producing resources currently in need
2. Kling: Focus on plants and tobacco, taking loans if needed
3. Ridder: Focus on risky strategy, producing resources expected to be in need in the future
4. Printz: Focus on low costs and many colonists

The following abbreviations have been used for the district types. Parentheses indicate that a district is closed, underline that it has a log cabin. Numbers indicate which player owns the district. Parentheses indicate that it's empty, plain text that it's invested in and bold text that it's produced in.

• Tr = Trade post
• Fa = Farm
• Fy = Forestry
• Fg = Forge
• Pl = Plantation
• Sp = Tobacco spin

Round 1

Ship bag: 1 colonist, 1 gold, 1 grain, 1 iron, 1 timber, 1 tobacco, 1 fur

Markets (buy/sell)

• Colonists: 4
• Gold: 6 (3/4)
• Grain: 6 (4/3)
• Iron: 6 (4/3)
• Timber: 6 (3/3)
• Plant: 6 (4/3)
• Tobacco: 6 (7/6)
• Fur: 6 (3/3)

Minuit (6 thaler, 0 colonists, 0 districts)

1. Letter: Iron to letter, Colonist to bag, Colonist from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Farm
3. Work: Pay 4 thaler to invest 1 colonist and 1 grain in Farm (2 grain)

Kling (6 thaler, 0 colonists, 0 districts)

1. Letter: Gold to letter, Grain to bag, Grain from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Plantation
3. Work: Pay 4 thaler to invest 1 colonist and 1 grain in Plantation (2 plant), borrow 4 gold (interest -9)

Ridder (7 thaler, 0 colonists, 0 districts)

1. Letter: Colonist to letter, Grain to bag, Tobacco from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Spin
3. Work: Pay 3 thaler to invest 1 colonist and 1 timber in Spin (1 cabin)

Printz (7 thaler, 0 colonists, 0 districts)

1. Letter: Colonist to letter, Fur to bag, Grain from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Trade Post
3. Work: Pay 3 thaler to invest 1 colonist and 1 timber in Trade Post (1 cabin)

Minuit starts with a farm and Kling with a plantation. Kling expect early investments in the tobacco business and takes an early loan. He had hoped to avoid competitors but Ridder starts with a spin and builds a log cabin there, waiting for the plant prices to fall. Printz enters the fur trade.

Round 2

Ship bag: 1 colonist, 1 gold, 1 grain, 1 iron, 1 timber, 0 tobacco, 2 fur

Markets (buy/sell)

• Colonists: 1
• Gold: 5 (3/3)
• Grain: 6 (4/3)
• Iron: 6 (4/3)
• Timber: 4 (4/3)
• Plant: 6 (4/3)
• Tobacco: 5 (7/7)
• Fur: 6 (3/3)

Printz (4 thaler, 1 colonist, 1 district)

1. Letter: Fur to letter, Colonist to bag, Grain from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Trade Post
3. Work: Pay 3 thaler to invest 1 colonist and 1 grain in Trade Post (x fur)

Minuit (2 thaler, 1 colonist, 1 district)

1. Letter: Colonist to letter, Iron to bag, Gold from bag (added to market)
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Forge
3. Work: Produce 2 grain in Farm, sell for 3+2 thaler

Kling (6 thaler, 1 colonist, 1 district, interest -9)

1. Letter: Tobacco to letter, Gold to bag, Gold from bag (added to market)
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Spin
3. Work: Pay 2+4+4 thaler to invest 1 colonist, 1 grain and 2 plants in Plantation (2 tobacco), borrow 4 gold (interest -9)

Ridder (4 thaler, 1 colonist, 1 district)

1. Letter: Grain to letter, Colonist to bag, Colonist from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Trade Post
3. Work: Produce cabin in Spin

Printz continues with his fur strategy and Minuit produces his grain to get cash. Kling, still annoyed about the tobacco competition from Ridder, takes another loan to be able to beat Ridder to the tobacco production. Ridder calmly completes her log cabin.

Round 3

Ship bag: 2 colonists, 0 gold, 0 grain, 2 iron, 1 timber, 0 tobacco, 2 fur

Markets (buy/sell)

• Colonists: 0
• Gold: 6 (3/4)
• Grain: 7 (3/2)
• Iron: 6 (4/3)
• Timber: 4 (4/3)
• Plant: 4 (5/4)
• Tobacco: 5 (7/7)
• Fur: 6 (3/3)

Ridder (4 thaler, 1 colonist, 1 district)

1. Letter: Fur to letter, Colonist to bag, Colonist from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 steps, settle Forestry
3. Work: Pay 3 thaler to invest 1 colonist and 1 grain in Trade Post (x fur)

Printz (1 thaler, 2 colonists, 2 districts)

1. Letter: Colonist to letter, Fur to bag, Colonist from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Plantation
3. Work: Produce 3 fur in Trade Post, sell for 3+2+2 thaler

Minuit (8 thaler, 1 colonist, 1 district)

1. Letter: Timber to letter, Colonist to bag, Fur from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Spin
3. Work: Pay 4 thaler to invest 1 colonist and 1 grain in Forestry

Kling (0 thaler, 2 colonists, 2 districts, interest -18)

1. Letter: Grain to letter, Tobacco to bag, Fur from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Farm
3. Work: Produce 2 tobacco, sell for 7+7

Ridder invests in a trade post to raise cash for her future tobacco production. Printz is grateful for that, since the 3 occupied trade posts mean that she can produce 3 fur. Minuit, seeing timber is in demand and none on the market, invests in a forestry while player 2 produces the 2 tobacco she borrowed so much money to invest in.

Round 4

Ship bag: 2 colonists, 0 gold, 0 grain, 2 iron, 1 timber, 1 tobacco, 1 fur

Markets (buy/sell)

• Colonists: 0
• Gold: 6 (3/4)
• Grain: 5 (5/4)
• Iron: 6 (4/3)
• Timber: 4 (4/3)
• Plant: 4 (5/4)
• Tobacco: 7 (6/6)
• Fur: 7 (3/2)

Kling (17 thaler, 2 colonists, 2 districts, interest -18)

1. Letter: Tobacco to letter, Grain to bag, Colonist from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Plantation
3. Work: Pay 5+5+5 thaler to invest 1 colonist, 1 grain and 2 plants in Spin (2 tobacco), borrow 3 gold (interest -8)

Ridder (2 thaler, 2 colonists, 2 districts)

1. Letter: Grain to letter, Fur to bag, Fur from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Forestry
3. Work: Produce 3 fur in Trade Post, sell for 3+2+2 thaler

Printz (7 thaler, 2 colonists, 2 districts)

1. Letter: Fur to letter, Colonist to bag, Colonist from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Trade Post
3. Work: Pay 4 thaler to invest 1 colonist and 1 timber in Trade Post (log cabin)

Minuit (4 thaler, 2 colonists, 2 districts)

1. Letter: Colonist to letter, Timber to bag, Colonist from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle none, Dutch ship 1 step, close none
3. Work: Produce 2 timber in Forestry, sell for 4+4

Kling uses her cash to invest in a new spin while Ridder produces fur to be able to afford plant for her spin. Printz completes her trade post strategy by investing in the last trade post while Minuit produces timber. Minuit also reaches the Swedish Fort again and thus triggers the Dutch ship to move.

Round 5

Ship bag: 0 colonists, 0 gold, 1 grain, 2 iron, 2 timber, 1 tobacco, 1 fur

Markets (buy/sell)

• Colonists: 1
• Gold: 5 (3/3)
• Grain: 4 (5/5)
• Iron: 6 (4/3)
• Timber: 5 (3/3)
• Plant: 2 (6/5)
• Tobacco: 7 (6/6)
• Fur: 9 (2/1)

Minuit (11 thaler, 2 colonists, 2 districts)

1. Letter: Timber to letter, Colonist to bag, Iron from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 step, settle Forge, Dutch ship 2 steps, close Plantation
3. Work: Pay 5+4 thaler to invest 1 colonist, 1 grain and 1 iron in Farm (4 grain)

Kling (2 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts, interest -18)

1. Letter: Grain to letter, Tobacco to bag, Grain from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Forestry, Dutch ship 2 steps, close none
3. Work: Produce 2 tobacco in Spin, sell for 6+6 thaler

Ridder (8 thaler, 2 colonists, 2 districts)

1. Letter: Tobacco to letter, Grain to bag, Colonist from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Farm, Dutch ship 2 steps, close none
3. Work: Pay 5 thaler (+1 Dutch tax) to invest 1 colonist and 1 grain in Plantation (2 plant)

Printz (4 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Grain to letter, Fur to bag, Fur from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Plantation, Dutch ship 1 step, close Forestry
3. Work: Produce log cabin in Trade Post

Minuit invests in her farm and adds iron to produce more. Kling produces tobacco so Ridder, tired of waiting for plant to enter the market, invests in a plantation of her own. Printz produces a log cabin in one of her trade posts.

Round 6

Ship bag: 0 colonists, 0 gold, 1 grain, 1 iron, 2 timber, 2 tobacco, 1 fur

Markets (buy/sell)

• Colonists: 0
• Gold: 5 (3/3)
• Grain: 3 (6/5)
• Iron: 6 (4/3)
• Timber: 5 (3/3)
• Plant: 2 (6/5)
• Tobacco: 9 (5/5)
• Fur: 8 (2/2)

Printz (4 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Fur to letter, Grain to bag, Grain from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Forge, Dutch ship 2 steps, close Forge
3. Work: Produce log cabin in Trade Post (pay 2 thaler in Dutch tax)

Minuit (2 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Colonist to letter, Timber to bag, Timber from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Farm, Dutch ship 1 step, close Spin and Forestry
3. Work: Produce 4 grain in Farm, sell for 5+4+3+2 thaler

Kling (15 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts, interest -18)

1. Letter: Tobacco to letter, Grain to bag, Fur from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle none, Dutch ship 1 step, close none
3. Work: Produce 2 plants in Plantation, sell for 5+5 thaler

Ridder (1 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Grain to letter, Tobacco to bag, Tobacco from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Plantation, Dutch ship 2 steps, close none
3. Work: Produce 2 plants in Plantation, sell for 4+4 thaler

Printz produces her second trade post log cabin (although it costs her 1 thaler as the district is within Dutch influence. Minuit finally produces grain for the starving colony (4 thanks to her iron). Kling beats Ridder to producing plant.

Round 7

Ship bag: 0 colonists, 0 gold, 2 grain, 1 iron, 2 timber, 2 tobacco, 0 fur

Markets (buy/sell)

• Colonists: 0
• Gold: 5 (3/3)
• Grain: 8 (2/2)
• Iron: 6 (4/3)
• Timber: 4 (4/3)
• Plant: 6 (4/3)
• Tobacco: 8 (6/5)
• Fur: 7 (3/2)

Ridder (10 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Tobacco to letter, Grain to bag, Tobacco from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Forestry, Dutch ship 1 step, close none
3. Work: Assemble

Printz (2 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Colonist to letter, Fur to bag, Grain from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Farm, Dutch ship 2 steps, close none
3. Work: Assemble

Minuit (16 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Gold to letter, Colonist to bag, Timber from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Forestry, Dutch ship 1 step, close Farm
3. Work: Assembler

Kling (24 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts, interest -18)

1. Letter: Iron to letter, Tobacco to bag, Tobacco from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Forge, Dutch ship 2 steps, close Plantation and Forge
3. Work: Assemble

All players assemble their colonists and earn 1 thaler each. Ridder and Printz also earn 1 and 2 thaler each for their log cabins.

Round 8

Ship bag: 1 colonist, 0 gold, 2 grain, 1 iron, 1 timber, 1 tobacco, 1 fur

Markets (buy/sell)

• Colonists: 0
• Gold: 5 (3/3)
• Grain: 9 (2/1)
• Iron: 6 (4/3)
• Timber: 3 (4/4)
• Plant: 6 (4/3)
• Tobacco: 6 (7/6)
• Fur: 7 (3/2)

Kling (24 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts, interest -18)

1. Letter: Tobacco to letter, Iron to bag, Iron from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Forge, Dutch ship 1 step, close Forge and Plantation
3. Work: Pay 2+4+3 thaler to invest 1 colonist, 1 plant and 1 iron in Plantation (2 plants) and deposit 3 thaler (interest 5)

Ridder (10 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Fur to letter, Tobacco to bag, Iron from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Forestry, Dutch ship 2 steps, close Farm
3. Work: Pay 4+4 thaler to invest 1 colonist and 2 plants in Spin (2 tobacco)

Printz (2 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Fur to letter, Colonist to bag, Grain from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle none, Dutch ship 1 step, close none
3. Work: Pay 2 thaler to invest 1 colonist and 1 grain in Trade post (x fur)

Minuit (16 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Timber to letter, Gold to bag, Colonist from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Spin, Dutch ship 1 step, close none
3. Work: Pay 2+3 thaler to invest 1 colonist, 1 grain and 1 iron in Forge

Kling invests in more plant to bring down the plant price but Ridder does not wait for that and invests in tobacco right away. Printz continues his fur strategy with a trade post investment while Minuit predicts an increased demand in iron and enters the iron market.

Round 9

Ship bag: 1 colonist, 1 gold, 1 grain, 0 iron, 1 timber, 2 tobacco, 1 fur

Markets (buy/sell)

• Colonists: 0
• Gold: 6 (3/4)
• Grain: 7 (3/2)
• Iron: 7 (3/3)
• Timber: 3 (4/4)
• Plant: 4 (5/4)
• Tobacco: 6 (7/6)
• Fur: 7 (3/2)

Minuit (11 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Colonist to letter, Timber to bag, Grain from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle none, Dutch ship 2 steps, close none
3. Work: Pay 2+4 thaler to invest 1 colonist, 1 grain and 1 iron in Forge

Kling (15 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts, interest -18)

1. Letter: Colonist to letter, Tobacco to bag, Tobacco from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 steps, settle Farm, Dutch ship 1 step, close Forestry
3. Work: Pay 2+4+4 thaler to invest 1 colonist, 1 plant and 1 iron in Spin (2 plants) and deposit 4 thaler (interest 6)

Ridder (2 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Colonist to letter, Fur to bag, Gold from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 2 step, settle Plantation, Dutch ship 1 step, close Farm
3. Work: Pay 4+4+3 thaler to invest 1 colonist, 2 plants and 1 iron in Spin (4 tobacco)

Printz (0 thaler, 3 colonists, 3 districts)

1. Letter: Colonist to letter, Fur to bag, Fur from bag
2. Settle: Swedish ship 1 step, settle Plantation, Dutch ship 2 steps, close Forestry
3. Work: Pay 2 thaler to invest 1 colonist and 1 grain in Trade post (x fur)

The test was interrupted to test a version with less starting money and cost for seals to get more scarcity and incitement to keep and reuse districts.

P&P (PDF, A4)	P&P (PDF, US Letter)

Annotated games

Complete test games are presented under Annotated Games.

• 3rd edition v3.07, 4 players
• 3rd edition v3.03, 4 players
• 2nd edition v2.11, 4 players
• 2nd edition v2.08, 4 players
• 1st edition, 4 players

If you like those game mechanisms, I can also recommend: